The people you surround yourself with have a profound influence on who you become. Prioritize being around supportive, encouraging people.
Christians have been building communities to help them grow in their faith for two thousand years. These communities serve as models of Jesus’ way of life and act as “messengers of reconciliation” in a broken world.
1. Be a Light for Jesus
For many people today, the world feels like a dark place. With pandemics, wars, terrorism, and violence on the news, it’s easy to get discouraged and turn away from Christ. But even though this world is fallen, Christ’s light is still breaking through and filling the darkness. It’s our job to be that light for those around us.
One way is by sharing God’s truth and love. Christian communities are meant to be clusters of believers who radiate the good news of Christ’s transforming work in their lives. The light that comes from these communities should make it impossible for the darkness to hide or the devil to deceive.
Another way to be a light is by serving together. Whether it’s helping a group member with a difficult health issue, putting in an extra hour at work to serve a fellow worker, or doing something simple like serving up a cup of coffee at Starbucks, service to others is one of the best ways to share Jesus’ love. These experiences bring people closer together and are great opportunities to build deeper relationships.
And of course, there’s also the work of evangelism and other outreach efforts. Some groups may spend enormous energy helping homeless people or working to rehabilitate homes for the poor, while others may focus more on prayer and healing. These efforts are like a guerrilla army establishing beachheads for God’s kingdom in this hostile world. community for jesus
But the most important thing that we can do as a community is to draw close to Christ and receive His love for us. This love will then overflow outward for the benefit of those around us.
2. Serve Together
Whether you are packing meals for people in other countries, working to help children learn English, or hosting a back-to-school party for neighborhood friends, your family serves together when you serve as a community. It’s an excellent way to teach your kids how to care for others, and it will strengthen your family relationship.
Christian communities are a great place to practice the biblical teaching of sharing everything (I Corinthians 12). In a community, everyone has a role, and each person is encouraged to pursue their God-given gifts. It’s the perfect environment to experience healthy spiritual growth and improve mental wellness through meaningful friendships.
It’s also a powerful way to witness. When we serve together as a church community, we demonstrate Christ’s love for the hurting people around us. The world needs to see Christians banding together to reach out and meet the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of those around them. This type of visible community is a shining light that radiates hope and joy into the darkness.
As a leader, it’s important to recognize the spouses of your community members who serve on teams. Many of them sacrifice a lot for their husbands or wives to serve and are just as much a part of the team. It would be a shame if they never got credit or recognition for their efforts. This helps to build the church and shows your members that their spouses are as committed to the ministry as they are. And if your community members don’t have a role in the ministry, encourage them to find one that will fit their talents and interests. Then, they will be equipped to serve as a team.
3. Do Life Together
When we do life together with fellow Christians, we step into a level of fellowship that goes far beyond attending a Bible study or serving on a mission team. The true life of Christian community involves going through the good and the bad with others. It is in enduring with each other through the dark days that we can truly experience the joy of rejoicing.
As a result, the concept of “doing life together” is something that many believers desire to experience with their church. We see this year after year as churches promote small groups and other opportunities for believers to connect with one another and grow in Jesus together. Yet, oftentimes these groups don’t go beyond discussing the Bible and meeting at someone else’s home once a week. The true life of Christian community is more than that, and it’s a lot of hard work to create.
It means stepping out and bringing people into our lives that we’d never have met otherwise. It’s taking a family that needs groceries to dinner and visiting a sick neighbor. It’s getting together with other couples to share a meal and laugh. It’s getting to know those who live around you in a neighborhood, at the gym, or at work. It’s the kind of community that Jesus himself modeled when he spent time with his disciples outside of the busyness of the temple.
In these kinds of true life communities, people are able to see God’s love for them in the form of caring and friendship. And that’s what this world desperately needs. We’ll all be a better witness for the Gospel when we show it to the people that we live alongside each day.
4. Be Encouraged
Christian community can be difficult for many people to get a handle on. When you mention it, they may look at you like a drop in from another world and hope you change the subject. They may fear that you're going to tell them they must sell everything they own, move to the country, wear bib overalls, and raise peanuts. But Christian community doesn't have to be that extreme.
Rather, the goal of Christian community is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. You find support and accountability as you share life with others, engage in spiritual growth through fellowship, serve together and pursue missions work. Those who try to live out their faith alone struggle significantly more than those who commit themselves to community.
This community can include your family, friends, church and even sports leagues and coffee dates with coworkers. It can also encompass a group of believers that meet regularly or online. You might also belong to a Bible study or prayer group that meets in person.
The benefits of being a part of a Christian community are great. You can gain support and encouragement as you struggle through your challenges. You can also find joy as you celebrate your victories. In addition to encouraging one another, you can learn from the godly examples of other believers and even receive guidance when needed. For example, when Aquila and Priscilla gently corrected Apollos, their actions had the effect of encouraging the entire community to be more Christlike (Acts 18:24-28).
The next time you hear someone complaining about their church or the people who attend it, remind them that God created community as a byproduct of his grace. It forms as we repent of our sins, receive Jesus as savior and begin to practice his teachings.
5. Encourage Others
In our culture, Christian communities often feel like competition. Rather than supporting each other to thrive, they see other churches as potential rivals and fight to attract the same members. But the Bible teaches us to love, serve, and encourage each other as a way to live in community.
Encouraging others takes time and practice. But a few simple steps can help you encourage others to be their best selves for Jesus. For example, instead of criticizing their flaws, praise their strengths. It can be hard to switch from seeing the worst in people to being able to compliment them, but it is possible with patience and time.
Encouragement also involves listening to their feelings and empathizing with them. They need to know you care about them and want the best for them. They need someone to remind them that God is in control of their life and will provide them with strength to overcome their difficulties.
The key to encouraging others is to pass on the joy you have found in Christ. Encouragement can be as simple as passing on a smile or sharing a positive word. But when it comes to the most powerful encouragement tool we have, nothing beats the Word of God. It is "a sharp sword of truth that pierces the soul and spirit, reaching deep into the inner recesses of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). It can change the entire atmosphere in a room or in a person's life! So take some time to meditate on Scripture and let it lift you up. Hopefully, you'll find that your own heart is expanded by this energy, and you will be able to encourage others to do the same!
Comments
Post a Comment